Violinist

Terri Ficenec · 10-03-2004, 07:37 PM

Just finished(?) this. . . surprisingly quickly for me! The client hasn't seen it yet so there may still be some small tweaks. There is a glare in the photo across the darks to the left of the figure. The chair on that side is darker and consistent with the rest of the chair. Will post a better photo once the paint is dry.

Violinist
20"x24"
Oil on Canvas

Kimberly Dow · 10-03-2004, 09:18 PM

This is beautiful Terri! And the violin just shines. Congrats.

Jimmie Arroyo · 10-03-2004, 09:32 PM

Great job Terri, really like the eyes in the close-up. Second Kim's thought on the violin.

Garth Herrick · 10-04-2004, 12:06 AM

Terri,

Congratulations, this is outstanding! You are raising the bar for the rest of us. How long did this take you? The yellow theme is great.

Garth

Terri Ficenec · 10-04-2004, 01:20 AM

Kim, Jimmie -- Thank you! I think I spent almost more time on the violin than her face! The shine/shape/color were tricky and unfamiliar for me. Her eyes were a treat to paint, especially after the skater one with eyes downcast.

Garth,
Thanks, but I'm still stretching to reach the bar you and so many others here have set! The yellow theme was derived from the natural pine wall behind her in my reference, but I thought the knots and vertical lines would be too busy, so just used the overall color and abstracted it. Your painting of the judge was reassuring to me and helped make me think this gold could work.

Started this September 17th, so at just over two weeks (for painting, took reference photos in August), this is the quickest I've finished a commission. Her skin was so translucent it came nearly grey on the primary reference photo, so she sat for me one afternoon for me to get her coloring down. Having her pose really cut down on a lot of the second guessing and re-painting I usually do. I had also thought that the sheer fabric on her arms and shoulders would be torturous to do, but it didn't turn out to be. . . so it seemed like all of a sudden this was just done!

Thanks again!!

Sharon Knettell · 10-04-2004, 08:01 AM

Just beautiful Terri! A beautifully painted face and a well designed composition. I also love the yellow background, a very difficult color to work against. It brings to mind a small Degas painting at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, "Madame Gaujelin", a picture always worth studying.

Congratulations on an outstanding painting!

Linda Brandon · 10-04-2004, 11:55 AM

This is outstanding! Really wonderful, Terri!

Aren't you happy you are using indoor light instead of outdoor light?

Chris Saper · 10-04-2004, 12:50 PM

Dear Terri,

This is absolutely the best painting of yours I have seen. You have really handled the light/shadow transitions skillfully, your shadowed colors are lovely, and the color shifts are sensitive and so subtle.

Congratulations!

John Crowther · 10-04-2004, 02:26 PM

Terri, this is absolutely spectacular work, so I offer a very small critique with a considerable amount of trepidation. Please take it for what it is, just one man's opinion. I would love to see the girl's gaze shifted somewhat to her left, as if she were focused on music. As it is, it seems to me as if she were posing rather than playing. I've taken the liberty of doing a hasty and somewhat clumsy alteration in Photoshop to show what I mean. Again, I don't want this to reflect on my enormous admiration for your skills. -- John C.

Patricia Joyce · 10-04-2004, 03:17 PM

Terri,
Now this one is my favorite of yours. You are growing by leaps and bounds and it is very inspirational to see!! I love the coloring in this one and her face is painted beautifully! How many hours do you get to spend at your easel per week? The way you have progressed one would think you are not eating or sleeping, just painting!!